Matthew 6:19–34

Matthew 6:19 is surely addressed to the disciples of Christ (see Matthew 5:1). And how much we need to pay attention to such instruction. You will notice that our blessed Lord is setting out here the moral characteristics of earth and heaven. There is no such thing as moth, or rust, or thief in heaven. On earth there is.

The warning of the Lord Jesus — first of all directed to His disciples — does not refer to the blessing of God we may desire. It refers to something completely different: the greedy striving after wealth and earthly security. We read about this already in Proverbs 23:4-5: "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven."

Earthly wealth and earthly treasures are passing and therefore very insecure. This is what the Lord Jesus sets before His disciples here. The moth, a small, insignificant creature, can ruin the most costly materials in a very short time. Rust can destroy the things that seem most durable and most valuable, and thieves can steal it all at once. In the last century, war, flight and inflation taught many people — including children of God — that their apparent earthly securities could vanish like vapour.

Child of God, where is your treasure? Is it Christ in heaven? If so, you are happy! If it is wealth or distinction, the Lord warns, your heart will be there too. Many hold a fond notion that directly contradicts Christ: that the struggle for riches can swallow up a whole life while the heart is not in it but true to Him. What can be more false and deceiving! It is not for lack of solemn warning that a Christian can stray like this. What we are set on and live for from day to day proves our character and our state.

Here our Lord contrasts the heavenly with the earthly, the spiritual with the natural, the things of time with those of eternity. His estimate of these is perfect, and He would have us governed by it. The heart follows what it prizes most, and if that is the things of earth, how great the loss! In this world, where death lies on everything, people set up many artificial arrangements to give security. But what is heavenly and eternal needs no insurance societies — eternal things are the sure things.

As to things here, you have your Master's goods. If you hoard them up here, you surely lose them hereafter, and turn them into accusers. On the other hand, you have gracious permission to transfer them really to your own account, by laying them up where your treasure is — "in heaven."

We believe the Christian is bound to provide for his family, day by day — bound to educate his children and put them in the way of earning an honest living. The New Testament commands all this so plainly that no one can question it. But these sacred duties leave the question of hoarding and speculation untouched. We do not believe in these at all. We believe that hoarding covers the soul with rust, and speculation fills the heart and mind with care and anxiety.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [not merely can, but do] destroy and where thieves [not merely can, but do] break in and steal." You will notice that our blessed Lord is setting out in this passage the moral characteristics of earth and heaven. There is no such thing as moth, or rust, or thief in heaven. On earth there is.

This is the clothes-moth, whose destructive damage is well known. In the East people kept garments in large quantities, as property and as gifts. Naaman the Syrian, for example, brought "changes of garments" as a present to Elisha, and Gehazi obtained two of them. Moths do not attack the clothing that is worn; they lay their eggs in what is laid up, and there the young find their food. From this the lesson is drawn to lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt or destroy.

But how is it possible to lay up such treasures in heaven? In Matthew 19:21 the Lord Jesus says to the rich young man: "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." Paul writes something similar to Timothy: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them... to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Tim. 6:17-19). These passages contain a simple, unmistakable teaching. Take someone who wants to follow the Lord. He does not treat what he owns on earth as "treasure." He uses it according to God's will and for His honour in doing good. In this way he is gaining other and better treasures. He does not become poorer but richer in the eyes of God!

As to things here, you have your Master's goods. If you hoard them up here, you will certainly lose them later, and turn them into accusers. On the other hand, you are graciously permitted to transfer them, really and truly, to your own account. You do it by laying them up where your treasure is — "in heaven."

Let us note carefully that the Lord says, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be." He does not say "ought to be," but "will." We cannot escape by telling ourselves that our hearts are not attached to what we are busy piling up. Why then accumulate it? We would say of a man heaping up sticks and straws and rubbish that he was mad. Yet to him the worthless pile is valuable. The proof is that he keeps piling it up. Who would not change worthless paper into good security? This we are privileged to do, while treasure in heaven will keep the heart there, and draw the feet on to where the heart is.

The believer's eyes are to be far above the world's level. His true treasure is not material. It is of eternal value, and nothing can corrupt it or steal it. Today we know that treasure is closely bound up with Christ Himself, raised from the dead and seated in the heavenly places. Is our heart not there too? As we value the things that are eternal, and live and act in view of this, we shall be laying up treasure in heaven.

Here we have the remedy for it all: a word which, if it could be spoken to a Jewish remnant in view of millennial blessing, is so fully and clearly our own as Christians that the natural thing is to take it as if it had no other application. Yet those who are to inherit the earth, in the day all this looks forward to, will have great need to lay up their treasures in heaven, in the care of Him who is coming to give reward to His saints.

Notice what the Lord says: "where your treasure is, there your heart will be." He does not say "ought to be." He says "will." We cannot escape by assuring ourselves that our hearts are not tied to what we are busy piling up. Why, then, pile it up? We would say of a man heaping up sticks and straws and rubbish that he was insane. But to him the worthless heap is valuable — and you can tell that for sure, because he keeps adding to it.

Child of God, where is your treasure? Is it Christ in heaven? If so, you are happy. If it is wealth or distinction, the Lord warns, there also will be your heart. Many cling to a fond idea that directly contradicts Christ: that a man can pour his life into the struggle for riches while his heart is not there at all but true to Him. Nothing could be more false or more misleading. It is not for lack of solemn warning that a Christian can go astray like this. What we are set on and live for from day to day proves our character and our state.

The believer's eyes are to be far above the world's level. His true treasure is not material but of eternal value, and nothing can corrupt it or steal it. Today we know that this treasure is bound up with Christ Himself, raised from the dead and seated in the heavenly places. Is not our heart there too? As we value the things that are eternal, and live and act in view of this, we shall be laying up treasure in heaven.

But how is it possible to lay up such treasures in heaven? In Matthew 19:21 the Lord Jesus says to the rich young man, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." Paul writes something similar to Timothy. He is to charge the rich in this world to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share. In this way they store up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life (1 Timothy 6:17-19). These passages teach one simple, unmistakable thing. Anyone who wants to follow the Lord, and does not treat his earthly possessions as his "treasure" but uses them as God wills and for His honour in doing good, is gaining other and better treasures. He does not become poorer. He becomes richer in God's eyes.

We should never judge the prayers of others harshly. Still, people sometimes pray that our affections may be set on things above, and this is not possible. It is "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." A husband does not pray that he may love his wife when he already loves her. What we should desire is different. We want the grace and beauty and excellence of Christ to have such power over our souls that our hearts are drawn out to Him, in the place where He is.

It is always true that where our treasure is, our hearts will be also… Then, as a result of that statement, the Lord says, "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning." I will say at once that if your treasure is on earth you will not be dressed for action, and your lamp will not be burning. It is impossible. You must have your treasure in heaven if you are to be found waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The eye is the lamp of the body; not the light, but what holds and fixes the light. The light comes from elsewhere: the organ of perception does not create the light, but receives it. For us the light is in the Word alone. It is the Word that judges and makes things plain. But there must be spiritual reception, and for that, a capacity to receive. With the heart set on things above, the eye is single and clear: God is before it, and in His light we see light. Then the whole body becomes full of light: the hands and feet have plenty of it for work and walk.

The question is not about the light, which is perfect, but about "the eye." A person's spiritual condition has a great deal to do with whether the disciples see rightly. How much we take in, how well we discern, our judgment and our practice all depend on the state of our affections.

It means literally "one-foldedness" or "simplex structure." ... So the Scriptural meaning of the word is that there should be no hidden motive and no double-dealing in a Christian's actions. He should be what people call "transparently honest." The Lord Jesus Christ gave the perfect example of this, as He did of everything else. What was true in Him while He was here should now be true in the Christian.

Christ truly the object before one gives singleness of eye; and where He is simply and exclusively the "one thing" before the soul, the whole body is light. Difficulties vanish. The will of God becomes quite clear. I am surprised and ashamed to have had doubts here and uncertainty there.

If we really know the Father in heaven, we shall find our treasure in heaven, and there our heart will be; and we have only to have the single eye to see this, and to see all else clearly. Then too our bodies become full of light: that is, we become luminous ourselves. We shall either be dominated by God or by mammon, for we cannot serve two masters.

The great point in verse 22 is to have the single eye. It is a testing verse. Suppose I am distracted and in uncertainty about anything. Does not this tell me my eye is not single? If I want partly to please myself, and partly to please the Lord, I have not a single eye. But if I have a single eye for a single object, it will make my path easier as I go along.

In a long and active life, God in His love does not always show us His will at once. He does this so that we learn our dependence when we are inclined to do our own will. Still, "if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light." So it is certain that when the whole body is not full of light, the eye is not single. You will say, "A poor consolation that." I reply, "A rich one to those whose only desire is to have the eye single, and to walk with God."

We should not put our hand to a single thing which would not bear the strictest scrutiny... Can she with a good conscience take the discount from the person who supplies her with the things? Should it be called "discount" or "bribe"? "If your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light."

The eye is the lamp of the body; not the light, but what holds and fixes the light. The light comes from elsewhere: the eye that sees does not create the light; it receives it. For us the light is in the Word alone. The Word judges and makes things plain. But there must be spiritual reception, and for this a capacity to receive, which the apostle places in the heart and its condition (Eph. 1:18). With the heart set on things above, the eye is single and clear: God is before it, and in His light we see light. Then the whole body becomes full of light: the hands and feet have plenty of it for work and walk.

The Lord Jesus mentions the expression "an evil eye" in other connections also (see Matt. 20:15; Mark 7:22). There the evil eye is the visible proof of an envious, jealous heart. If envy, pride or other evil things fill our heart, then our whole life is, so to speak, clouded with darkness. We rob ourselves of every true joy in the Lord. We also lose our discernment about ourselves and about what is around us.

But if the eye is evil, perverting what light it receives, there will be no light whatever in the body. The light that comes in is cleverly turned into darkness — a darkness that is "how great!" No one may treat God's truth lightly. If someone twists it, it can plunge him into a state worse than plain ignorance.

What a contrast between a man with a single eye and a man who does not act on the light God has given him! The one is a light-bearer for others; the other is a stumbling-block in the way. We know nothing more solemn than God acting in judgment, turning our light into darkness, because we have refused to act on the light He was pleased to give.

The Lord is not dealing here with redemption. He is dealing with the need of a new nature — or else with the moral evil found where a person is not born of God. The "eye" shows what the nature is, inside as well as outside. This is man's condition unless grace renews him. In this all-important respect the Jew, judged by the light in our Lord Jesus, was no better off than the Gentile.

But light rejected becomes darkness, and how great the darkness! Truth given, light flashed out from the Word and not used and acted upon, leads into the grossest darkness. (This is the deplorable state of thousands of believers.)

When Christ Himself is truly the object before a person, the eye is single. Where He alone is the "one thing" before the soul, the whole body is light. Difficulties vanish. The will of God becomes quite clear. I am surprised and ashamed to have had doubts here and uncertainty there.

Nor does the Lord spare them the humbling proof of how little the anxiety of man achieves. "Which of you by anxiety can add to his stature one cubit?" It was a very small thing, though some would count it a very great addition. Yet even for this, how powerless man is! Why then be anxious about a garment?

The Lord asked if we can add a cubit (18 inches) to our physical height by worrying. If our anxious thoughts cannot change even the small matters, what is the sense of anxiety about anything? Worry only distresses us, and often others too. It can change nothing. Why not then be calm and at peace, trusting the Lord? He has certainly always proven faithful.

Verse 27: "A cubit" (18 inches) is a good bit to add to one's height, but some think the point is not so much one's height as the length of one's life. He has numbered our steps, and we cannot take a step beyond that number; and that would correspond with a cubit, I think. Of course either is true.

No one can change anything by his own strength or worry. That is true of his height, as in Luke 19:3, and of his age, as in John 9:21 and Hebrews 11:11, where the original uses the same expression. And it would not be of any profit either.

The human helplessness that we feel has its own instruction. All one's anxiety cannot add a cubit to the stature; and how much else there is where we depend completely on the will of another! Why not, then, leave all things to Him to whom we have to leave so much, and who clothes the perishing lilies of the field with a glory greater than Solomon's? The weakness of a man's faith is the only really sorrowful weakness, after all.

We gain nothing by our care. By indulging in it we only make ourselves unfit for seeking the kingdom of God. And by our unbelief we place a barrier in the way of His acting for us. It is always true of us, "He could there do no mighty work, because of their unbelief." Unbelief is the great hindrance to the display of God's mighty works on our behalf. If we take our affairs into our own hands, it is clear that we do not want God.

We gain nothing by our anxiety and planning; we only shut out God, and that is no gain. God justly leaves us to reap the fruits of our own schemes.

We are helpless, unable to add a cubit to our height, or to dress ourselves like the grass of the field. Our Father has infinite wisdom and power, and cares for the humblest creatures of His hand. We may therefore have absolute confidence in His loving care for us.

We do well to consider what surrounds us. Sometimes the Lord pointed to things outside and argued from the smaller to the greater. Think of the weighty lessons the disciples could learn from the birds of the sky, or from the lilies of the field. These show more than divine power. They show wisdom, kindness, and a care that thinks of them down to the smallest detail — a goodness that runs through everything and stays, even in the face of man's sin and wickedness.

Surely many of us walk about little discerning what lessons we may learn from nature. How often did the Lord draw instruction from natural objects, and from operations in nature! And well He might, for the God of creation is the God of revelation. There is but one living and true God. Hence His ways in nature may have a voice for us His creatures.

In verses 26 and 27 the Lord speaks of the birds of the sky. In verses 28-30 He turns to the lilies of the field. Both teach against anxiety: the birds about eating and drinking, the lilies about clothing. These are famously the two areas of ordinary life that test people most — not people in general only, but disciples, and He was speaking to disciples all through His teaching on the mountain.

The birds at least have to do something to find their food; but the lilies do not toil for their clothing! They grow and develop, so to speak, by themselves. The many colours, the beauty and tenderness of the plants display one thing only: the glorious grandeur of our Creator. And this is for our joy as well.

Sowing or reaping, toiling or spinning may well be a duty. It is a duty if they had to provide for themselves and their household, and could earn their supplies more easily by such work. Even in a world untouched by sin, the LORD put Adam, whom He had formed, into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. There was no one to hire for the work that needed doing, and Adam could gladly use his own hands.

For children not yet converted, and for adults in the same state, having work to do is a merciful help. It guards them from the dangers of idleness and of giving way to lust and passion. Work is good for believers too. Refusing to work when you have no means of your own is bad — so much so that the apostle says bluntly: if a man does not want to work, he should not eat.

Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these lilies. The closer you look at them, even with the strongest lens, the more they outshine the splendour of Israel's richest king. Yet that rich beauty of shape and colour was only a carpet under the feet of the poorest Israelite one day, and fuel for an oven the next… He uses both facts to judge our nature's anxiety about earthly things… He would banish doubt, distress and unworthy desires, and settle the heart in confidence in His Father's present, perfect and loving care.

He never meant the disciples to take up the birds of the sky or the lilies of the field as objects of their own care, though more than a few misuse what He said… He points out the matchless goodness of God toward what is so small in His eyes. His aim is that the disciples should rise from these things to the Father above them all, and be sure of the thoughtful, constant love He bears to His own.

"As the lily among thorns" — the gorgeous lily growing in the thorn thickets of Palestine — "so is my love among the daughters." … We were all thorns once. We can take these words for ourselves and say that His grace has turned us into the lily. The believing soul is dressed in Christ, and has that fragrance and beauty before Him. God is He that does this; it is not the result of their scheming and toil.

What amazing wealth there was in Solomon's reign! People have estimated that Solomon's temple held enough gold to more than pay off a nation's entire debt, and silver, we are told, was like stones. The Queen of Sheba fainted at the sight, it so far exceeded her expectations, so we can see why the Lord here selects Solomon. However grand and beautiful his clothing was, it was only artificial. The other was of God.

Our blessed Lord once spoke with appreciation of "the lilies of the field." "Consider them," He said. "Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Matt. 6:28-29). From His holy heaven He had seen Solomon in his magnificent coronation robes, made by skilful hands. But to His mind the modest lily, the work of God, presented a more attractive picture. May the gracious Spirit of God work in us all the lily character. No "outward adornment" will compare with it (1 Peter 3:3).

What a rebuke from the plants of the field, as our Lord interprets it! Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these lilies. The closer you inspect them, even with the most powerful instruments, the more they outshine the splendour of Israel's richest king. Yet that lavish beauty of form and colour was only a carpet spread for the feet of the poorest Israelite on one day, and on another was fuel for an oven. And this end of its glory was far from being an offence to the Lord. He was above all jealous for His Father's honour in His work. So He uses this double fact to judge our natural anxiety about earthly things. They may be as lovely to the eye as the lilies, yet they die just as quickly. He uses it to banish doubts, distress, and unworthy desires, and to settle the heart in confidence of His Father's present, perfect, and loving care.

He points out God's incomparable goodness toward what is so little in His eyes. His aim is that the disciples should rise from this to the Father above them all, and be sure of the thoughtful and constant love He bears to His own... Are we to share the anxiety of those who do not know God? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all — how shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?

"They neither toil nor spin." The ravens might seem to do something; but as to the lilies, what can they do?... The one, then — the ravens — rebuked their care for their food, and the lilies their care for their clothing.

Of course faith would not ask Him to give us clothing that would draw attention to ourselves, for faith honours Him, not self.

Link it with the Song of Songs. Hear what the Bridegroom says of the earthly bride: "As the lily among thorns" — the gorgeous lily growing in the thorn thickets of Palestine — "so is my love among the daughters." We have teaching about the thorn: how it came in, and what its end will be. We were all thorns once. We can take these words for ourselves. His grace has transformed us into the lily, clothed in Christ. The believing soul has that fragrance and beauty before Him. God is the One who does this; it is not the result of their scheming and toil.

In the cities some people worked as bakers and had built-up ovens. Everywhere else, each household usually had its own simple oven. A hole was dug in the ground and coated with clay, which hardened in the heat of the fire. Grass of every kind dried quickly in the sun, and people threw it into the oven to heat it.

What a rebuke comes from the plants of the field, as our Lord explains it! Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these lilies. The closer you look at them, even with the most powerful instruments, the more they outshine the splendour of Israel's richest king. Yet all that lavish beauty of shape and colour was only a carpet spread under the feet of the poorest Israelite one day. The next day it was fuel for an oven.

"But if God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?" Grass is the lowest thing, as it were, that He has made in the plant world — something both common and short-lived. So the ravens rebuked their anxiety about food, and the lilies their anxiety about clothing.

God, the creator of all animal and plant life, has fitted them together so admirably and sustains them. He will also provide for His children, who are worth much more than they are, in a fatherly way, with food and clothing. Yet how often we too show little faith in this matter!

Sowing or reaping, toiling or spinning could still be a duty. It would be, if they had to provide for themselves and their household, and could earn their supplies more easily by this work than in any other way. Even in an unfallen world, the Lord put Adam, whom He had formed, into the garden of Eden to till it and guard it.

All your anxiety cannot add a single cubit to your height. And how much else there is of this kind, where we depend entirely on the will of another! We already have to leave so much to Him, and He clothes the perishing lilies of the field with a glory greater than Solomon's. Why not, then, leave everything to Him? The weakness of a person's faith is the only truly sad weakness, after all.

Anxiety, darkness and doubt come from unbelief, joined with loving the world or the things in the world. That is how it was with the Gentiles, who did not know God. If we know Him, and the blessedness of His kingdom, and the perfection of His righteousness, why be anxious about tomorrow?

God lavishly gives such beauty to grass, though it lasts such a short time. How much more can we depend on Him to clothe those whom He gave His Son to redeem!

As the Lord began, so He closed His charge to the saints against anxiety in the earthly life. He picks on purpose the ordinary, everyday matter of daily food and clothing. He brings in the birds of the sky as the witness of generous provision without worry. He brings in the unmatched splendour of the lilies of the field as a rebuke to troubled efforts after empty show. The sense and the wording of verses 25 and 31 are much the same. But in the later verse He exchanges "you" and "your" for the more tender, family expression "we."

To "take no thought" about our food, drink or clothing does not, of course, mean never to think of these things. It means not making them the objects of our thoughts as though they were the most important things in life. Gentile nations do this, giving great weight to things of only minor importance. Our Father knows we need such things, and we can depend on Him to supply them at the right time.

Notice, "take NO thought." This needs no interpretation or adjustment. People may say it means "anxious thought." But there is nothing about "anxious" in the passage… If the Lord Jesus meant "anxious thought," He would have said so… The Spirit says through the apostle, "do not be anxious about anything." Why? Because God is caring for you. There is no use in two thinking about the same thing, when One can do everything and the other can do nothing.

In Matthew 6 the things that may give rise to this anxious care are much more general. They are not wants that arise only in exceptional circumstances, but everyday needs that all of us have. In particular the Lord speaks of food and drink to sustain our lives, and clothing for our bodies… Three times in this passage the Lord instructs His hearers not to be careful, or anxious, about these matters.

These outward things tempt us to lay great stress on them. But He reminds us that they are only the objects the Gentiles seek after. "Gentile" was a term used of a man without God, in contrast to a Jew who had God in an outward way in this world. A Christian is a man who has God in heaven as his Father. "Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." So then, since our Father knows this, why should we doubt Him? We do not distrust our earthly father; much less then should we doubt our heavenly Father.

What we shall eat and drink, and what we shall wear, is the absorbing pursuit, the overwhelming and soul-destroying question… It is the weakness of our flesh. But it often becomes the sin of our souls. It drags us down in our living to the level of the nations of the world that do not know God. It makes us distrustful of His loving-kindness towards us.

Why is there such emphasis on our being without care? It is certainly not so that we may settle down in comfortable ease. In the parable of the sower some of the seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked the seed. In His explanation the Lord said the thorns are the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the desires for other things and the pleasures of this life… If we want to live lives that are fruitful for God, we must not let the cares of this world crowd out His claims and interests. As we seek His interests and actively pursue them, we will find that our needs are met.

Are we then left without comfort or resource? Far from it. The Lord finishes with real cheer for those who seek to be faithful: "your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." And is it not the Father's pleasure to consider every need of every child? Who can pretend that He does not abound in all good things, or that He would not have us trust in Him rather than in ourselves?

The Lord Jesus said, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." What had He been speaking of just before? Of what we shall eat and what we shall wear — the things we need for daily life. We do need them. But it is exactly because we need them that our Lord says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Are we listening to this word? What is first in our souls?

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." We are not to seek first the kingdom of God and then seek these things. We seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the rest will come.

The thing that I fear is not seeking FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is not the time only that a similar occupation takes, but its having the prior claim, which is important. It alters the whole tone of the mind.

Seek the kingdom of God, that is, God's interests, and all these things will be added to you. So, dear friends, not one of us needs to be troubled by a single care. We will not be troubled if we only take this into our hearts: God loves us, He cares for us, and He watches over us because He cares for us. So He will never let one of His children go without, if that child seeks first the kingdom of God.

"His righteousness" is added to this. Everything in the world is stained by man's unrighteousness. So it takes real purpose of heart to seek the purity of God's righteousness in surroundings that pull the other way. This does take time and thought.

Do we make our decisions, small or great, in dependence on Him — praying and waiting on Him? Do we let Him rule our lives in this way? This is the only way to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The righteousness of God here is not the same as the righteousness spoken of in Romans. It is practical conduct. It answers to the authority and rule of God through the Lord Jesus in our lives.

We are to make the things of God our main aim, and He promises to take care of all our needs. But note this. We are not to seek "the kingdom of God" so that "all these things may be added." That would be a fatal mistake. If I give myself to the Lord's work so that my everyday needs will be met, I will soon come to ruin. But if I make the Lord's work my first aim, God will fully meet my needs.

Before all else, consider the rights of God. Our habit is to seek food and clothing first, along with everything else we count as a need or comfort in this life. But the Lord puts all of that well outside the range of our worry. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." The promise is that all these things will be added — that is, that God will add them.

If we make God's kingdom and righteousness our first concern, we can expect Him to add all the good things we need. Our God and Father never overlooks our needs. If faithful in the greatest and deepest things, He loves that we should trust Him as to our least things. Do we believe the Lord, that "all these things" — the ones unbelief worries about — "will be added to us"? Let us not forget the condition: "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself." Our Lord is preparing us for this. The anxiety that dreads some evil thing tomorrow is nothing but unbelief. When tomorrow comes, the evil may not be there. If it does come, God will be there... Often, when the heart bows to God's will about a sorrow we dread, God takes the sorrow away and meets us with unexpected kindness and goodness.

And there is another characteristic about anxiety. It looks ahead without faith. Unbelief draws dark pictures of despair and fills the mind with a day that may never come.

He also sets a limit on care, and that limit by itself rules most care out. How much of the burden we carry really belongs to tomorrow? It is a burden that is not ours yet. Who can tell what tomorrow will bring? Each day will have enough evil of its own. It is never too much, because a careful hand has measured it out. But when we borrow trouble that has not come yet, we make the day's burden too heavy, and we cannot count on God's grace for what has not come... How often has His love disappointed all our fears in ways we never dreamed of!

In all this, what is forbidden is not thinking about tomorrow, but anxious care. The word itself comes from one that suggests "division," and so a "distracted" heart... James blames only the confident tone of that speech, not all planning for tomorrow. That should be plain: if the opposite were true, the whole course of our lives would have to change.

We believe the Christian must provide for his family, day by day. He must educate his children and set them on the way to earning an honest living... But those duties are one thing. Hoarding money and speculating are another... We believe that hoarding covers the soul with rust and speculation fills the heart and mind with care and anxiety.

The disciples were not to make anxiety about food and clothing a habit. Even a brief look at the birds, or at the lilies, might well correct it. They were not to be anxious at all, said the Lord — not for the morrow. It is a stronger statement, excluding even a single instance.

But why should the child of God give way to anxiety about tomorrow? He can be glad and bold, sure of his Father's love, and free to do His will today, whatever the trial. God is above tomorrow's anxiety too, and the believer can cast it on Him if it comes. "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Christ is our burden-bearer.

How often have we worried about what tomorrow would bring, and then, when it came, found that the Lord stepped in... To remember that your Father knows, is to put the heart at peace. And we might never have to face tomorrow at all. The Lord may come before it arrives.

If a warning to believers does not include you, you are in special danger. You are putting off until tomorrow the call of the gospel that God makes to you today... Delay will only increase your sins and harden your heart... How many have put off to a tomorrow that never came!